Leitch

The Cincinnati Reds are hosting a promotion this year that will award one lucky fan with a brand new truck if any particular Red happens to hit the truck with a home run. The truck is perched in center field, 500 feet away. It's a neat promotion. Except that it's physically impossible for anyone to hit the truck.

Cue the math!

I marked it at 502 feet horizontally and 65 feet above field level. On a calm, 70 degree day, a player would have to hit the ball at 134.5 mph off the bat, which is beyond the realm of possibility using MLB baseballs and MLB bats.

With a 15 mph tail wind and a 90 degree day, a hit of 122.7 mph would reach the truck. That is in fact possible by someone like Alex Rodriguez, or maybe Wily Mo Pena, but I doubt a lefty could hit one that hard in that direction. Also, at 500 horizontal feet from home plate, that's quite a lucky shot to go in just the right direction. And by the way, last year one home run was hit at GABP in wind of 15 mph or greater. It just doesn't get that windy at game time there...

Red Reporter points out that it "might as well be on the moon," which gives us an idea: If anyone at Yankee Stadium this year hits a home run that goes through our apartment window, we will give one lucky fan $500 and a package of leftover Peeps from Easter. Also: We will sell our soul to Satan.

Rick,
Thank you for your email. I will make sure it gets passed on to the appropriate people. While we recognize that the truck is hard/impossible to hit, please know that we will be giving away the truck at the end of the season to a lucky Reds fan.